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London Korean Film Festival · 2009

London Korean Film Festival 2009

Full line-up

Programme

17 films · 3 reviews

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The Aimless Bullet (Obaltan)

A man struggles to support his pregnant wife, two children, lonely sister and mentally unstable mother.

(Country: South Korea; Year: 1960; Director: Yoo Hyun-mok; Writer: Lee Beom-seon; Stars: Choi Mu-ryong, Kim Jin-kyu, Moon Jeong-suk)

Breathless (Ddongpari)

Review preview for Breathless

Although Yang's directorial debut is overlong and unecessarily laboured in the early section, he is genuinely bringing something fresh to the table in terms of the atmosphere he creates.

Amber Wilkinson · 3.5 out of 5
Can a schoolgirl offer salvation to a Korean gangster?

(Country: South Korea; Year: 2009; Director: Lee Hwan, Yang Ik-June, Kim Kkobbi; Writer: Yang Ik-June; Stars: Yang Ik-June, Jeong Man-shik, Kim Gol-bi) , Trailer

Full review

Dream (Bi-mong)

Review preview for Dream

Kim Ki-duk is using language to highlight the communicative gulf that exists between his dramatis personae.

Anton Bitel · 4 out of 5
A woman acts out the dreams of a stranger.

(Country: South Korea; Year: 2008; Director: Kim Ki-duk; Writer: Kim Ki-duk; Stars: Jô Odagiri, Lee Na-yeong, Jang Mi-hie, Kim Tae-hyeon, Park Ji-a)

Full review

Eighteen (Hwioribaram)

A pair of teenagers celebrate their 100-day anniversary with a trip to the beach... but when they return their parents forbid them to see one another until they start college.

(Country: South Korea; Year: 2009; Director: Kun-jae Jang; Writer: Kun-jae Jang; Stars: Choi Hyeon-Sook, Choi Hyo-Sang, Han Na)

A Frozen Flower (Ssang-hwa-jeom)

Love, betrayal and revenge against a 14th-century backdrop.

(Country: South Korea; Year: 2008; Director: Ha Yu; Writer: Ha Yu; Stars: Zo In-sung, Joo Jin-mo, Song Ji-hyo)

Haeundae

Korea's first big-budget disaster film sees a beach resort hit by a tidal wave.

(Country: South Korea; Year: 2009; Director: Yun Je-gyun; Writer: Yun Je-gyun; Stars: Sol Kyung-gu, Ha Ji-won)

Himalaya: Where the Wind Dwells (Himalayaeui sonyowa)

When an acquaintance is killed, a man heads to the Himalayas to return his remains to his family.

(Country: South Korea, France; Year: 2008; Director: Jeon Soo-il; Writer: Jeon Soo-il; Stars: Choi Min-sik)

Insadong Scandal (Insadong seukaendeul)

Crime caper sees rivalry and double-crossing abound after the discovery of a 400-year-old painting.

(Stars: Um Jung-hwa, Kim Rae-won)

Kim's Daughters (Kim yakgukjib daldeul, Gimyakguk-ui Ttaldeul)

A pharmacist trying to marry off his kids finds his plans scuppered when he discovers his daughter is having an affair with a servant.

(Country: South Korea; Year: 1963; Director: Hyun Mok Yoo; Writer: Kyeong-ri Park; Stars: Dong-won Kim, Aeng-ran Eom, Ji-hie Choi, Min-ja Lee, Jeong-sun Hwang)

Martyr (Sungyoja)

Two clergyman who have survived a Korean War abduction, begin to question their belief.

(Country: South Korea; Year: 1965; Director: Yu Hyun-mok; Writer: Kim Eun-guk; Stars: Kim Jin-kyu , Nam Kung-won, Jang Dong-hwi)

Oseam

Animation tells the story of two orphans who are looked after by monks.

(Country: South Korea; Year: 2004; Director: Sung Baek-yub)

Private Eye (Geu-rim-ja sal-in)

A sleuth agrees to take a case from a medical student searching for the murderer of his latest cadaver, but there's something fishy going on.

(Country: South Korea; Year: 2009; Director: Park Dae-Min; Stars: Hwang Jeong-min, Ryu Deok-hwan)

Rough Cut (Yeong-hwa-neun yeong-hwa-da)

An actor who finds his colleagues won't work with him becomes so desperate he offers the role to a gangster, who has only one condition - the fight scenes must be real.

(Country: South Korea; Year: 2008; Director: Hun Jang; Writer: Hun Jang; Stars: Su-hyeon Hong, Ji-Hwan Kang, Chang-Seok Ko, Ji-seob So)

Scandal Makers: Replicated Strokes (Gwasok Seukaendeul, Kwasok scandle)

A radio host finds his ratings rocket after a woman phones in looking for her long-lost father... little realising scandal awaits.

(Country: South Korea; Year: 2008; Director: Kang Hyeong-Cheol; Writer: Kang Hyeong-Cheol; Stars: Cha Tae-hyun, Wang Suk-hyun)

The Story Of Mr Sorry (Jaebulchal Si Yiyaki)

Animation about a professional ear cleaner who starts to shrink and becomes so small he can climb into the heads of his clients, with some shocking results.

(Director: Kwak In-keun, Kim Il-hyun, Ryu Ji-na, Lee Eun-mi, Lee Hae-young)

Treeless Mountain

Examination of childhood, seen through the eyes of two youngsters left by their mother with an alcoholic aunt.

(Country: US, South Korea; Year: 2008; Director: So Yong Kim; Writer: So Yong Kim; Stars: Kim Hee-Yeon, Kim Song-Hee)

Thirst (Bakjwi)

Review preview for Thirst

Park presents familiar vampiric tropes in a fresh and interesting way.

Scott Macdonald · 3.5 out of 5
A man is turned into a vampire by an experimental medical treatment.

(Country: South Korea; Year: 2009; Director: Park Chan-wook; Writer: Jeong Seo-Gyeong, Park Chan-wook; Stars: Song Kang-ho, Kim Ok-vin, Kim Hae-sook, Shin Ha-kyun, Park In-hwan)

Full review